NFL Playoffs: 3 players who need to bounce back in the divisional round

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The NFL playoffs got off to an incredible start, with the first four games of the wild-card round featuring tightly contested games that came down to the wire. The Chicago Bears pulled off the most improbable victory of the slate, coming back from a 21-3 second-half deficit, while the shorthanded San Francisco 49ers achieved the biggest upset, defeating the defending Super Bowl champions on the road.

Here are three players who struggled in their respective team’s opening round victory and will need to bounce back in the divisional round.

QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers ended the regular season winning six of seven games, thanks in large part to quarterback Brock Purdy, who was PFF’s highest-graded signal-caller from Weeks 13-18 (94.3). He struggled in the wild-card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, earning a season-low 56.8 PFF overall grade.

All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (92.0 PFF coverage grade) got the best of Purdy for most of the night, picking him off twice while breaking up another pass. Purdy struggled particularly against the blitz, where he completed just one of nine passes for two yards and two interceptions.

The 49ers will need Purdy at his best to take down the No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks on the road this weekend. Seattle’s defense is led by an elite secondary that includes PFF’s top-graded cornerback in Devon Witherspoon (89.9), Julian Love (82.2) and Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Nick Emmanwori (71.6). Riq Woolen finished the regular season ranked ninth in advanced PFF coverage grade, giving the Seahawks no shortage of high-end talent in their defensive back unit.

San Francisco will be without All-Pro tight end George Kittle, who suffered a torn Achilles in the victory over Philadelphia. Ricky Perasall will be a question mark once again, as he’s missed time with knee and ankle injuries all season. Star left tackle Trent Williams has been battling through a hamstring injury but figures to give it a go once again.

The 49ers will enter the divisional round as the week’s biggest underdog, but if Purdy can take care of the ball and make some big plays in the passing game, they will have an opportunity to advance to the NFC championship game for the fifth time in seven years.

T Spencer Brown, Buffalo Bills

The Bills defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game where the teams exchanged the lead four times in the fourth quarter alone, capped off with a Josh Allen quarterback sneak touchdown with just over a minute remaining in regulation. Buffalo will travel to take on the No. 1 seed Denver Broncos in the divisional round.

Right tackle Spencer Brown has established himself as one of the best run-blocking tackles in the NFL, finishing this season ranked eighth among all tackles in PFF run-blocking grade (84.6). He was strong once again against the Jaguars (71.1) in the wild-card round. However, Brown didn't fare as well in pass protection, earning a 41.9 PFF pass-blocking grade after allowing five quarterback pressures.

Brown will have to hold up better in pass protection this week against arguably the league’s best pass rush. The Broncos led the NFL with 411 team pressures and 68 sacks, highlighted by Nik Bonitto, who ranked in the top 10 among all edge defenders in PFF pass-rush grade (84.5), total pressures (76) and win rate (17.1%). 

S Quentin Lake, Los Angeles Rams 

Lake’s fourth NFL season was his best yet. He ranked among the top 15 safeties with a career-high 75.1 PFF overall grade. The former UCLA Bruin suffered a dislocated elbow in Week 11, an injury that required surgery and knocked him out for the remainder of the regular season.

Lake returned to action in the wild-card round against the Carolina Panthers but was targeted early and often by quarterback Bryce Young, allowing eight receptions (11 targets) for 94 yards, in addition to committing a defensive pass interference penalty that ultimately resulted in a Panthers touchdown drive. The targets, receptions and yards allowed in coverage were all season highs for Lake, which fueled a poor 45.5 PFF coverage grade for the game.

Next up for the Rams are the Chicago Bears, fresh off a thrilling double-digit fourth-quarter comeback over the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round. Caleb Williams’ six big-time throws were the most for any quarterback all season — and tied for the third most in a playoff game in the PFF era. 

Lake will need to be better against a Bears passing attack that is peaking at the right time. Williams has thrown for two touchdowns in six straight games, with 17 big-time throws to his credit over that span, setting up a potentially high-scoring game against the Rams with a trip to the conference championship on the line.